No Man's Sky | Steam

No Man's Sky for PC is an action-adventure survival game in which the player takes the form of an alien humanoid who has crashed on landing and is given the basics of what he or she needs to survive and even thrive. Equipped with a multi-tool, the player can follow the on-screen advice of an entity called Atlas.

This advice leads players along a pre-determined path, giving them plenty of opportunities to exploit resources, fight or trade and team up with other players or aliens (the latter are generated by server algorithms as required, as in the farthest reaches of the cosmos).

But the best way to play is to go it alone, building the ships and vessels you need to continue your journey when you need them. See how far you can go: trade, mine and fight to your heart's content.

About the game

When it was released in 2016, the game was heralded as something unique and wonderful, although critics complained because many of the promised features weren't present. However, the developers have delivered since that first release and the promised features, such as multiplayer capability, additional building features, etc, are now available.

The game works largely through algorithms that 'create' the world in advance of the player's progress. If players travel to the same location at the same time, they will see the same features and settlements. This makes the gameplay more authentic, while keeping data usage fairly low.

New details

The developers, a company called Hello Games, have worked hard to ensure that the game delivers on its initial promise with regular updates that make the game more exciting, immersive and fun for all players.

Multiplayer functionality was the main feature that players wanted and this was included in the first major update shortly after launch. Improved construction allows players to make their home base unique to their own preferences: having an ideal home to protect is a great way for players to feel invested in the game.

The developers continue to release regular updates so that you always have something new and exciting to look forward to. They've learned from the mistakes of the past, and now they only announce new features once they're sure they're ready to launch them.

Ways to play

The game is primarily a survival and exploration game, with enough interesting missions to keep interest high. Players can choose their difficulty level to simply explore the beautifully depicted space landscape. There are different gameplay options to choose from, depending on what the player prefers:

Exploration: The default setting. You take on the character of a humanoid alien who has crashed on landing and you ensure your survival and escape from the planet you crashed on. You are encouraged to use the multiplayer tool, which all players have as standard, to extract resources which you then transform into protective and transport equipment.

Survival: This is similar to the standard gameplay, but with a lot more difficulty, so if you like suspense and challenge in your game, this is the mode for you as you'll be subject to more hostile attacks and more combat situations than with the other modes.

Combat: Full-fledged battles from start to finish. These are generally part of the player's exploration, with battles being more frequent when this mode is chosen.

Trade: This game mode relies more on diplomacy and making deals with the aliens you encounter as you explore worlds. It's not as easy as it sounds, however, as the aliens speak languages that you must try to understand by collecting 'Rosetta Stones' to help with translations. Misunderstandings can cause friction!

Multiplayer: Up to 16 players can team up to explore new areas of the map, and friends can follow each other around the map.

Endgame

Play through the different modes in the format that best suits your style of play, taking advantage of the immensity of space and the sublime landscapes offered by travelling between planets and villages to raid, trade and explore the cosmos.